SO SEXY…
You could say being an artist is provocative, risque, adventurous and I’d have to agree with you. Those flash in the pan successes, feast or famine moments and a fly by the seat of your pants lifestyle tends to be a part of the whole being an artist thing. One moment, you are experiencing the time of your life, the next moment you wonder if you’re on the street the in the morning. Your job requires that you feel, express yourself, use your imagination and create something that comes from that. Though formal schooling definitely helps propel your talents, it cannot help you imagine. It doesn’t give you passion. It cannot teach you how to ‘be’.
You are, inside, entirely and completely an artist. It’s a part of YOU.
We’re like rebels without a cause. We follow our emotions rather than logic, make heavy decisions based on dreams vs reality.
Having an art career therefore is like a contradiction. Being in this “sexy” vocation and adding the term career to it makes all sorts of complications. You have to logically weigh the pros and cons of your decisions, weigh out financial issues and deal with things outside your creative mindset. Being a career artist isn’t as easy as simply being an artist. Taking your personal gift and monetizing on that is one of the most difficult and harrowing experiences one could have.
ART IS PART OF YOU
During one of my art events, I met a passionate fellow trying to get his art into the world. He began to ask questions about my work and how I did it.
Whenever I would answer, I would see him wince a little.
He asked me how long I had been selling, I answered, “5 years“. He winced.
He asked whether I was showing in art galleries. I said simply, “I don’t want to“. He’d winced again.
He asked questions about the way I priced them and how I sold them and when I answered that it depended on the economy, he’d wince again.
He noticed my total disconnection with the work, and I completely and wholeheartedly understood that reaction. By the end of the evening, he was frustrated. He was talented artist, that was for sure. His work was amazing. One of a kind. But he wasn’t ready for the exposure, the possible losses, or the criticism that comes with the work. I had never realized until our conversation how easy it was for me to do, or how easy it was to say.
He couldn’t just take any risk with his work, but he really wanted to make a career out of it. His art was very much an extension of himself, like his own children. And of course that holds true for the majority of artists. You are creating something that is part of you, from some place in your heart and mind that no one sees. You have visions that you are able to project onto the canvas. Like no one else can do. It’s a part of you.
6 WAYS TO FREE YOURSELF
You want to make a career out of your creations, then you have to be ready for the pain that comes with the territory:
1. You have to be willing to take risks. You may sell your greatest creation of all time for the cheapest amount. You never know what you will get.
2. You must be willing to part with your work and move on. That may have been your favorite painting but you have to keep going and keep creating. If you don’t allow yourself to let go, it will be painful and eventually kill you.
3. You must be ready to receiving critiques or negative reviews. Learn to grow from other views, other perspectives. You never know, they may be right. You MAY actually be WRONG. Maybe you can improve on your work.
4. You have to be able to compromise. Becoming commercial isn’t selling out. You want to sell? Go big. Stop whining about selling out. There is no such thing. Only whining and procrastination exist. Stop being so elite about it.
5. You can’t be afraid to fail. Learn to move forward from mistakes and keep going. Sometimes you will create the worst piece in the whole world and collectors will LOVE it. I don’t know why, but this is ALWAYS the case. Learn from that. Perhaps there were techniques or colors you hadn’t thought to try, happened to try them, and people HAPPENED to enjoy these more.
6. You’ve got to be willing to try new things. Being creative, you have a gift to think outside the box. It’s very useful in trying new ways to show or sell your work. I do this all completely online, and my interest in all things tech seems to really compliment this move. I don’t have to sell in galleries, but eventually I will and I have. It’s not all about the brick and mortar anymore.
Being sexy isn’t easy. Sexy jobs never are. Just ask those gymnasts, stuntmen, reporters, etc. They take risks and make compromises on top of working on their skills. It’s one of the hardest careers to take on. Being an artist can be exciting if you are willing to work at it.
Have some thoughts or ideas on being a career artist? Share with us in the comments section!
This is very insightful. As a career artist myself, I find myself not wincing at your words, but merely bracing myself for what’s to come. Although film and graphic design are a bit different from painting in that your works “stay” with you even if they’re sold, there are definitely times where control must be relinquished for remuneration’s sake. But I think just getting to that point would be exciting… beats the hell out of serving coffee at least. And yes, it IS tough being sexy!
hahha yes, it is Hugh! Thanks for your comments. You’re right on the money with that.
What a great article. I’m in the process of reclaiming my art, writing, and it’s good to have some practical words in front of me, that this will not be an easy road, but it will be worth it.
Well put and on point, Natasha. Artists who only want to “look pretty” and who are not willing to roll up their sleeves don’t last. Unfortunately, many of them have fallen prey to believing the myths that abound about artists. Real artists know better.
yes, definitely. Without hard work, success will not come. The agents will not notice. The collectors will look over you. The business deals won’t happen unless we make them happen.
Maybe I’m a realist, but none of your responses even made me *think* to wince. But I can really see how that would frustrate him.
In the studio, you get to be as creative as you want, and do whatever you want. But once you leave the studio, you’ve got to disconnect with your work to a certain extent, because hey – you gotta eat. You gotta pay rent. And it’s that harsh reality that I think scares so many artists.
Sure, you’re an artist. But at the end of the day, you’re also a business. If you forget one or the other, you’re screwed. You’ll either be miserable, or broke
It’s a fine balance.
absolutely, Sarah. Thankyou so much for your comments. It’s very true!
I’m amazed at the number of artists who go from wincing to simply grinning once they learn *HOW* to sell their work. I think a lot of the wincing and whining about selling out comes from ignorance – artists don’t know what it takes to sell, so they imagine this horrible thing, when it’s actually a great experience, a big rush, to sell your work.
Once you start selling, you’ll never go back.
yeah, it’s definitely like an addiction for sure. I love what you are doing to show other artists and creatives that it can be done. We need more artists out there willing to open up about business. I think alot of us like to hide our “secrets” like we are going to have our territory ripped out from under us.
Kudos! Artists anywhere thinking about making a full-time business of creating their art should read and heed your words.
I recently watched and tweeted ( http://ow.ly/l0bt )a timeless interview with Chuck Close wherein he said, “Inspiration is for amateurs, the rest of us just show up for work.” Here is this towering iconic figure pulling back the curtain on the Wizard to let any and all know making a career as an artist is work, real work. A lot of that work has nothing to do with being in front of an easel whilst fairy muses spin about.
Natasha, I’ve watched and admired your talent, drive, charm and chutzpah since I wrote about you in my book back in 2005. By stint of your imagination and ambition, you’ve become a force to be reckoned with in the art world and the Web 2.0 world you’ve creatively used to build your career.
wow! Thankyou Barney! I love that quote! He’s right. There are those who are dreamers, I think, who believe that because they are doing the work the way that they are, that everything will lay out before them on a red carpet across a sea of success. We all are dreamers of course, but some of us have direction for those dreams. Thankyou for your comments. I appreciate it always!
It’s easy to say this if all you’ve ever created is decorative art without message or meaning. If one is like a machine, able to crank out similar works year after year, it’s easy to “sell out” and remain “detached”. It’s more difficult to sell when the works are unique, take years to finish and are rife with research and meaning. Moreover it’s difficult to sell when the works are – controversial. If art is only pleasant and pretty, devoid of meaning and easily commercialized it falls under the category of crafted decor and of course decor is easy to part with – it’s also easy to make. It will always sell well because it will always match someone’s couch. Art on the other hand – there’s rarely anything ‘easy’ about art.
you put out an excellent point here. It’s true that when it comes to move commercial work, there is that detachment. But, for myself, I find I feel the work I do is as personal as anything that wasn’t “commercial”. I guess we’d have to define whether “commercial” meant “pretty” art or art that was made with a certain intent. My intentions for my work is both for meaning and for looking nice. Intention and subject matter….
Excellent post, Natasha. Just the kick in the pants I needed. I think too many of us wait around like we’re going to be discovered or something. I admit I’ve been afraid to put myself out there. You are out there showing us all how it’s done.
Well even so, what I’m leaning more towards in the post is that it takes HUGE amounts of work, of hustling, getting your name out there and making it work. Not just exposure. It’s tough work. I imagine you understand that too.
Really great post. I know sooooo many people (musicians, painters, dancers) who have struggled for years and never managed to make a career out of it.
Reading this post also reminded me of a story Dianna sent us a while back.
She was told early on that a career in the arts was impossible, so went a different more financially secure route. Then a little later decided to “chuck it” and pursue her true passion — art!
Check out here story at the link below. Hope you like it.
http://www.ahamoment.com/vote/dianna
Отличная статья, кстати автору хочу предложить установить от яндекс.денег фишку на сайт “Дай рубль”. Я бы дал, так сказать на поддержание.